MUMBAI: In the city’s first recorded murder on the first day of 2021, a 19-year-old girl was found brutally beaten to death by her boyfriend and another teenager on the ground floor of Khar (West) skyscrapers early Friday. The trio were at a terrace party on the 10th floor in Bhagwati Heights hosted by some young people who reside there. Prima facie, the police suspect that a love triangle went wrong.
Jhanvi Kukreja, the victim, had been invited to the party along with the two suspects, Shree Jogdhankar (22) and Diya Padankar (19). The two have been detained, but no arrests have been made as of Friday night. Police were in the process of questioning the 12 others who were at the party.
Police told TOI that attendees said that amid the loud music, they saw the suspects and the victim pushing each other, although they did not know what led to the fight. “Kukreja’s close friends said the duo brutally beat her and then allegedly grabbed her hair and threw her down the stairs to the second floor. Blood stains were found on the stairs. Those at the party ran up stairs downstairs and they saw the victim. Jogdhankar is the main suspect, “said a Khar police officer.
Love triangle may have led to Khar’s murder, police say
Police suspect a fight broke out between the trio after Kukreja suspected that Jogdhankar cheated on her with Padankar. Kukreja was a resident of Santacruz, while the two suspects are from Khar.
“For now, the exact motive is unclear. It’s a suspicious case of a love triangle. The two detainees were also injured, and Jogdhankar suffered head and back injuries, ”said an officer.
According to the police, the building’s closed circuit television (CCTV) captured Kukreja leaving the terrace with the suspects in the middle of the party at 12.30 pm. “She was found dead with injuries around 2.30 am in the
premises building. She is suspected of being pushed down the stairs, “added the officer.
Joint Police (Law and Order) Commissioner Vishwas Nangre-Patil said the case will be resolved on Saturday.
Deputy Police Commissioner (Zone IX) Abhishek Trimukhe said the party on the terrace started after 11pm on Thursday. As the number of attendees was not high, no one in the building complained of discomfort. “Khar police rushed to the scene after receiving a call and found the victim dead on the premises of the building,” Trimukhe said.
Mumbai police spokesman S Chaitanya said they have registered a case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murder.
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